Malaria

2. • The life cycle of malaria parasites. A mosquito
causes an infection by a bite. First, sporozoites
enter the bloodstream, and migrate to the liver.
They infect liver cells, where they multiply into
merozoites, rupture the liver cells, and return to
the bloodstream. The merozoites infect red blood
cells, where they develop into ring forms,
trophozoites and schizonts that in turn produce
further merozoites. Sexual forms are also produced,
which, if taken up by a mosquito, will infect the
insect and continue the life cycle.